davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-07-13
Lending and Borrowing.

Even with regard to lending and bor-
rowing, the time has come when more
friendly and accommodating policy
would often be of advantage to all par
ties. There are many farm tools and
belongings in such constant use and so
inexpensive that farmer should be
ashamed to borrow them except on
extraordinary occasions. But there are
others so expensive and in use so little
time that owners of small farms can bet
ter afford to hire their use than to own
them. There should be reciprocity of
benefit in such transactions. What has
brought borrowing into disrepute is the
absence of such reciprocity. The lender
who finds wagon, plow, reaper or
mower returned to him not only with
out pay for their use, but possibly dam
aged or broken, soon learns to shut him
self up in his shell as his only means
of self-defence. The use of every i'm
plement for day has certain value,
and it is best for both parties that this
should generally be paid. 1t will thus be
a benefit to both parties, and make the
buying of costly implements really prof
table, which it often is not under the
present way of managing .-Selected.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-07-13
The Dairy.

My own COWS do not get over four
quarts per day of grain. / do not grain
higher for the sake of the general health
of the cows and to insure vigorous
progeny. Yet with the food Just men
toned sixteen pounds of the milk from
my dairy of thirty COWS make one pound
of butter, while at my creamery, where
! receive the milk of between five hun
bred and six hundred cows every day
it takes twenty-five and one-half pounds
of milk to make one pound of butter.
A proper system of feeding with clover,
corn-stover, cob-meal, roots and hay,
with good grade cattle and proper care
and housing, will certainly produce
milk that will give pound of butter to
every sixteen pounds of milk. Farm
ers are throwing away large share of
their profits by iniudicious feeding. As
a good sign, the cultivation and use Of
corn-fodder is increasing in New En-
gland. Let the cultivation of clover
increase in the same ratio and we shall
see more satisfactory results in dairying.
| feed a good mess of roots, each grown
animal receiving one-third of a bushel
of roots and the young animal one peck.
Select good cows. Perfect dairy cows
are rare-more rare than most farmers
think. The marks of perfect COW are
a large body, thin neck, clean head,
wide hips, and under them a large udder,
two large, crooked milk-veins meander-
ing along the belly to the udder, each
as large as your two thumbs. The shape
of the COW should be like the letter V
with the point at the head. A good
nd, oh ho Il
from a herd in the dark. There are
three very important requisites in the
keeping of dairy stock which are inds
pensable to success. On them hangs
the solution of the whole problem.
First, feed; second, care; third, skill.
AS to feed, a poor COW with good feed
will give better results than good one
with poor feed l place clover first in
the list. Glover is running out in New
England. Farmers are abandoning the
cultivation of the most valuable product
of the soil for dairy uses. There is a
consequent depreciation of the quality
of butter. The Darlings of Philadel-
phia, who make the best butter in the
country, attribute a large part of their
success to the constant and judicious
use of clover All heritage dried for
use is better cured in the shade, as
every housewife knows who dries herbs
for family use, and the nearest APP
proach to that with clover is to cure it
in small cocks, turning it once day
for two or three days. Glover should
be cut with machine, as the scythe
and subsequent forking and raking
tends to waste of the leaves. Clover
hay and cob-meal, supplemented by
corn-fodder properly cured, makes the
best butter in the world, and these are
all within the reach of the average
farmer. Good butter cannot be made
from ensilage.-E. Burnett.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-07-13
Lard and Resin for Tools.

ga penny saved is two-pence earned.o
Take about three pounds of lard and
one pound of resin. Melt them together
in basin or kettle and rub over all
iron or steel surfaces in danger of
being rusted. 1t can be put on with a
brush or piece of cloth, and wherever
it is applied it most eifectually keeps
air and moisture away, and of course
prevents rust. When knives and forks,
or other household articles liable to be-
come rusted or spotted are to be laid
away, rub them over with this mixture
and they will come out bright and clean
even years afterwards. The coating
may be so thin as not to be perceived
and it will still be effectual. Let every
one keep dish Of this preparation on
hand. As it does not spoil of itself, it
may be kept ready mixed for months
or years. Fresh lard, containing no
salt, should be used. Resin is cheap
article and may be obtained almost any
where for four to six cents per pound.
-Ameiicdn 1griculturaSt
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-07-13
Painted Apples.

Ted made surprise for his Aunt
Winnie's birthday. 1t was a grand sur
prise, but it took long time to make it.
Aunt Winnie's birthday was the last of
August, and Ted began making the sur
prise early in July Ted thought he
never could wait so long. am sure
he could not if his mamma had not
known it too. He had her to talk it
over with. They often went to look at
it and see how it was getting along.
You could never guess what the sur
prise was, so | must tell you. 1t was
an apple. Just an apple is not much,
you think. But let me tell you the
rest. This was large, red apple, and
on one side was a large white W, the
first letter of Aunt Winnie's name.
This is the way Ted made the surprise
apple. Before the fruit began to turn
red his mamma cut a nice, large w out
Of paper and pasted it on the apple for
him. She left it hanging on the tree.
1t grew large and red, but where the
paper letter was the skin stayed white.
When the apple was ripe Ted pulled it.
He washed the paper letter off, and
there was lovely W on the apple. His
mamma laid it away until Aunt Win
nie's birthday. AT last the day came.
After breakfast Ted brought in his sur
prise. His mother had taught him
pretty little speech to make, but he was
in such a hurry he forgot almost all of
it. This is what he said: Auntie, |
wish you many happy turns, an isn't
this nice? It's s'prise." Aunt Win
ME thought the apple very nice. She
had never seen one like it before.
" Dear mel" she said. "Do your trees
grow apples with letters on them?
Oh, no, it surely did not come there by
itself. | guess you must have helped it
grow there" Then TED told her how
they had made the letter grow there.
. 1t is too pretty an apple to eat,' said
Aunt Winnie. . must keep it a long
time" She took one of the paint
brushes and gave the apple two coats of
varnish. "The varnish will keep the
apple from decaying," she explained to
Ted. When it was dry she tied a long,
narrow blue ribbon to the stem of
the apple and hung it on the chan
delier. Every one who came in said:
" How pretty" Then when they saw
the letter they said: Glow queer"
Aunt Winnie would explain to them
how the letter came there. Deborah
Wilson, in O,r Little Ones.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-07-13
Iron for Pear-TreeS.

There are some who believe that iron
in particles applied to the roots of the
pear-tree will materially increase the
growth of the same and add to the
size and quality of the fruit. A Canada
correspondent of the Country Gentle
man says that there is a foundry-man
in the township where he lives who,
five years ago, had a number of pear
trees, some four years and some three
years after planting. Except few
odd pears on the oldest trees, this or
chard had borne no fruit up to the time
mentioned. In the fall of the year the
proprietor wheeled several barrow
loads of iron-filings from his foundry
and dug into the soil about each tree,
as near as he could Judge, one pailful.
The following year these trees, old and
young, all bore heavily and have con-
tinued to bear heavily every year since.
The correspondent examined the or
chard short time ago, and gives testi-
mony to unusual thrift and productive
ness, while similar trees on adjoining
premises had borne but little fruit.
Our contemporary, in commenting
upon the matter, says that there may
have been other fertilizing matter
mixed with the iron-filings, and there
may have been other influences
brought to bear in the new care
which the trees received, and of which
there was no information given.
Neither were they informed what the
varieties were, whether tardy or early
bearers, which might throw additional
light The Bartlett, Howell, Seckel
Bell, Lucrative and other sorts are well
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-07-13

writing, or judges from his own experience.
We would suggest that he come over into
Maine and circulate among farmers who are
doing better than he represents, that he
may get posted as to what is being done at
the present day, and thus be enabled to
lead his readers up to the better things they
plainly need.
So writes the editor of the Maine
Farmer. We would like something be-
sides estimates or guess-work on this
matter. We do not believe that the
correspondent of the Mirror and Farmer
or the editor of the Maine Farmer can
tell within dollar ton what the hay
fed nets the farmers-that is, in re-
turns, not in market values. There is
altogether too much of arguments,
theories and conclusions based on es-
Inmates. We have an unlimited respect
for the half-bushel and the scales, but
very little for estimates.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-07-13
Buttermilk for Pigs.

When | commenced to run the farm,
fifty years ago, my father told me that
buttermilk was not good for young pigs,
and / have always used it with caution,
but have always fed it. raise Ches-
ter White pigs for breeders only, and l
want them to be the best of the kind
| had thirty last season, and they have
all gone for breeders. l keep eighteen
cows and we churn every day in hot
weather Except Sunday, and we have
a large amount of buttermilk and a
yard full of pigs of all ages, and they
all get the buttermilk as fast as it is
made, but never clear. 1t is mixed
with skim-milk and fed often through
the day, little at time, but never
after it gets rancid. When it is in that
condition the compost-heap is the best
place for it. A large feed of butter
milk is too much for anything. l have
had Germans that would drink so much
buttermilk when they churned that it
spoiled their stomachs; they could
neither eat nor work. The best pigs
and calves can be raised on buttermilk
judiciously fed, but don't send the
hired man to do it. 1t is the eye of the
master that makes the pigs fat, and
this is true in respect to everything else
on the farm.-L. +. Scott, in Exchange.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-07-13
How Little Ned Went West.

Ned is a little goden-haired boy of
four summers, and is the youngest, and
therefore the pet, of our family. He is
very fond of hearing our colOred cook,
whose name is Mary, tell stories. One
day Mary said she would tell us a story,
so we settled down to hear it. She told
us about her son John, who was out
West, and who, so she said, " was get
ting bushels of gold, and all he had to
do was TO dig it out of the ground" Lit
tie Ned listened with all his might, and
seemed to be taking in every word.
The next day, when | came home from
school, | found the house in a great up
roar. ! was greeted with, q" Have you
seen Ned? He is nowhere to be found"
We were very much frightened, and
went in different directions to hunt for
the little runaway. But we returned
without having found him. At ten
O'Clock that night our telephOne-bell
rang, and how glad we were to hear
from papa that it was a policeman at
the telephone who said our darling was
safe and sound at the police sta
ton. Papa was soon on his way there to
bring him home, and when he and Ned
arrived, and the excitement was over,
mamma asked him why he ran away.
To the establishment of all he began to
cry, as if he had forgotten great sor-
row and had just remembered it again.
We asked him what was the matter,
and at last he faltered out, g went as
west as could, and didn't find bit
of gold" You can guess how we
laughed at the little runaway for think
ing he could go out West all by himself.
Now what do you think of the way our
Ned went West?-Selected.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-07-13
Lend a Hand.

When? Where? To-day, tomorrow,
every day, just where you are. You
have heard of the girl who sat down
and sighed the morning hours away,
longing to be a missionary and help
somebody, while her mother was toll
ing in the kitchen and looking after
three little children at the same time
Perhaps your mother has servants in
the kitchen, but you can lend her
hand all the same. You can find
place to help brother or sister or friend,
and you can help everybody in the
house by your patient, kind, oblig-
ing spirit, in honor preferring one
another" self-forgetful and mindful of
others. 1t seems very little thing to
9 lend a hand " in these quiet home
ways, but if you could see the record
the angels make of such a day you
would see that it was very great thing.
Boys, girls, watch eagerly your chance.
Do not be cheated out of your happy
privilege. 1t is great, noble, blessed
thing to be able to " help a little" no
matter how little it may be- Exchange.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-07-13
On the Wane.

Many indications show that the
Knights Of Labor organization has
passed the zenith of its power and is
fast losing the influence it had even a
year ago. The failure of strikes in
cited by the local assemblies is one sign
of this waning power. The order
away from the striking locality does
not sustain the local assembly's strike.
Nor is there any reason why it should.
The probability is that its action has
been ordered by few leaders, without
the authority and against the interests
and wishes of the men for whom they
act. The leaders in the local assemblies
of Knights arrogate to themselves far
greater powers than the trades-unions,
and no self-respecting American work
ing-man can tolerate the despotism of
this irresponsible power.-Amerjcan
Cultir0tOr.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-07-13
agricultural.
What Fixes the Price Of Food
Products!

The price of food products is not set in
our New England markets, by the cost of
production here in Vermont or in the East.
1t is set by the cost of production in, and of
transportation from, the West
The above is from the Rural YER
nonter, whose authoritative utterances
on economic subjects are at once the
wonder and amusement of such candid,
thinking people as may by chance have
them brought to their notice. The quo
tation is from one of the EDITORS arti-
Giles on the iniquities of railroads, the
gist of it being their sin of charging
low rates of freight from the West as
compared with those charged Vermont
farmers.
The cost of production, as rule, has
very little influence in setting prices on
food products. The cost of producing
bushel of potatoes or corn, or barrel
of flour, is substantially the same year
by year, while the prices vary greatly.
Many causes contribute to fix the price
in New England. The wheat crop of
Russia and the farther Indies have an
influence on it: so does a cold, wet sea-
son in France or bad harvest in En-
gland. The near or remote probability
of a war in Europe or Asia shows in
Boston or Montpelier markets by rise
or fall in the barometer of prices. In
a season of scarcity-a year of poor
crops-the whole world considered, that
section of it which is fortunate enough
to have good crops will receive price
above the cost of production Just in
proportion to the scarcity, while in
season of general good crops-a plethora
of provisions-the producer may not re-
ceive for his crops what it actually cost
him to raise them. The illness of the
Emperor of Germany or the attempted
assassination of the Emperor of Russia
will show in the sensitive pulse of the
market.
The causes which go to fix the price
are too many to enumerate, and many
of them are more powerful than the
cost of production in the West or the
freight from there. The last attempted
great " corner in wheat in Chicago
had temporarily controlling effect on
prices, and greatly to the benefit of
such farmers as had not sold their
crop, for the amount of wheat in the
farmers hands was so much larger
than it was estimated to be that it
broke the corner" for it put up the
price for" spot wheat that is, wheat
delivered on the spot for cash-twenty
cents bushel And while the farmers
were reaping that benefit by the deal
the consumers East were not suffering
to any like extent, for flour was not adj
vanced in our markets to exceed, rela-
lively, one-fourth that amount. So, as
between farmers and consumers, the
corner" was benefit, as the farmer
made more than the consumer lost.
The brokers made their commissions
and the bears" made what the
bulls " lost, just as in game of
poker one wins and the other loses.
But above and beyond all these more
triflingly disturbing causes the great
law of demand and supply is what fixes
the prices of food products, not only in
New England but in the markets of the
world, and the same may be said of
any other commercial commodity.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-07-13
fOr tbe CHILDREN.


Lady locket lost her pocket,
Lost 1t out in the orchard grass;
And little fellow clad in yellow
Found 1t as he CHANGED to pass.
And he said, or sang it, IIo, I'll hang it ~
These were his very sing-song words Test,
" Where bloom comes quickest and bloom is thick.
I'll hang it up for my baby BIRDS"
II looked so funny-a bag for money,
grass-cloth pouch so quaint and odd
with woven shining silken lining
Made from broken milk.weed pod.
Leaves were growing and buds were blowing
And he did his wsest and his best
To try TO hide 1t, but some one spied it
A boy, who cried " A hang.b birds nest!
" OH sister ocket, it is your pocket
Swinging here in the apple-treel
If the tree smaller and | were taller
I'd get it for you again, maybel"
The wind grew merry over this, very
And laughed as he tossed the nest-hung bough
" If you don't mind falling and headlong SPRAYING
And bumps and bruises, try it now! "
our LUtle Men ami Women
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-07-13

A correspondent of the Mirror and Farmer
claims it as well-estabished fact " that
" average hay fed to average stock in the
usual manner in New England does not re-
turn to the owners more than three or four
dollars a ton" We do not know what this
writer would claim as average hay " or
" average stock" nor do we know from
what locality his judgment was made up,
but it is proper to presume that he refers to
the readers of the paper for which he is
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-07-13

HERE. is what the Massachusetts
Ploughman winds up with in an article
on the great wheat corner in Chicago
" June wheat dropped with dead
shrink from ninety-two to seventy
three cents bushel, thus bringing this
necessary cereal food nearer to its true
value than it has been for months.
Only the gamblers and their dupes are
the sufferers, and they Of course should
have known what they were exposed
to when they began to monkey with
Margins Moral-Don't gamble I'M
less you have winning hand.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-07-13

A NUMBER of the western agri-
cultural papers have noticed the recent
Aroostook meeting in Boston, express
ing surprise that there is so much
unoccupied land in the overcrowded
East" Overcrowded is only relative
term. The Indian thinks himself over
crowded if he cannot have half dozen
states to roam over for hunting and
fishing. But New England ~" over
crowded New England - has agri-
cultural possibilities which even some
of its own citizens little dream Of
Neac England Farmer.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-07-13

AN INVALID FooD. No prepared
food for the use of invalids has met
with such favor from physicians as the
celebrated Lactated Food. 1t is de-
licious preparation, and being predi-
gested is easily assimilated. 1t strength
ems the whole system. Invalids should
give it trial.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-07-13

THERE is man in Cedar Rapids that
has such weak and bony horse that
when it lies down he has to give it
baking-powder in order to have it rise.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-07-13

WHICH is the worst sinner, the man
who can sing and won't or the man who
can't and will?
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-07-13
ADVERTISEMENTS.
Rheumatism

1t is IN established fact that Hoods Sar.
saparlla has proven an invaluable remedy
in many severe cases Of rheumatism, effect
ing remarkable cures by its powerful action
in correcting the acidity of the blood, which
is the cause of the disease, and purifying
and enrching the vital fluid.
II is certainly fair to assume that what
Hoods Sarsaparilla has done for others ii
will do for you. Therefore, II you suffer
the pains and aches of rheumatism, give
this potent remedy fair trial.
A Positive Cure.
"I was troubled very much with rheuma-
tism in my hips, ankles, and wrists
could hardly walk, and was confined to my
bed good deal of the time. Being rec
commended to try Hoods Sarsaparlla, /
took four bottles and am perfectly we'll
/ cheerfully recommend Hoods Sarsaparilla
as one of the best blood purifiers in the
world" w. +. WooD, Bloomington, Ill.
For Twenty Years
lhave been afflicted with rheumatism Before
1888 found no relief, but grew worse. then
began taking Hoods Sarsaparila and it did
me more good than all the other medicine |
ever had" II. T. BALLOON, Shirley, Mass
81 suffered from what the doctors called
muscular rheumatism. / took Hoods Sar-
saparilla and am entirely cured" j. V. A.
PRoUDFooT, letter carrier, Chicago, Ill.
We shall be glad to send, free of charge
to all who may desire, a book containing many
additional statements of cures by
Hoods SarsapariIIa
Sold by all druggists. s1 six for IS. Made
only by c. 1. HOOD q CO., Lowell, Mass
100 Doses One Dollar.
ri AE~% Organs, S45, $50,
81 3 up. Pianos,
$50 and upwards.
AND Cash or / ms TIA | =
ORGANS SIX Years. Sew and
to rent Old instruments taken i'm exchange
for new. Tuning and Repairing done at
short notice. Installment prices-PIANOS,
$50 down and $40 per month; ORGANS,
$40 down and So per month. Illustrated
Catalogues mailed free. Agents wanted.
J.F. WATERMAN,
Montpelier, Vermont.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-07

II they had chance of discovering the weak
points, II there are any. in the case against
them The strongest thing said against
AR Gladstone in the Ionian- n-islanos case"
tinues the Times, twas that he trucking to
sedltioD This was political criticism on him
which might we'll be used now. We
not surprised that his lawyer did not consider
that there was any reasonable grounds for
action
The Standard, Conservative. summing up the
debate on the Times Dillon breach of privilege,
declares 1t to have been stupid fasco AS
CARDS The forged Parnel lettsr in the Times, the
standard asserts that Mr.. Parnell was probably
unlusty accused The government are incensed
at the unexpected stand the Shoe Lane authority
has taken. and influential Tories have attempted
to induce the editor to withhold further adverse
comments on the attitude of the Ministry. with
out effect The reply TO these represen taricns
Is a recommendation to the Cabinet to follow in
the line of Mr.. Gladstones sound and constitu-
tional advice, and sharp reproof fer allowing a
question touching the permanent interests of
Parliament to become inlschievous party quar-
rel. The provincial press generally express the
opinion that the conduct of the government In
this matter has greatly strengthened the Par
nei.ites in England. and damaged the Unionists
and Tories